Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At SW Bond Ave., you'll come to one of the few dining options in this
neighborhood so far: Bambuza Vietnam Bistro. (All the buildings are
designed with retail and dining on the ground level, so eventually this
will change.) You're basically in the heart of the development now; it's
new enough and shiny enough to have a distinctly futuristic feel.
Follow SW Bond St. for a block, then turn right at SW Pennoyer St.
Where Pennoyer meets SW River Pkwy., there's another place to stop
for a snack or a drink: Rilassi Coffee House & Tea. The corner is
guarded by stone lions, echoed with enthusiasm inside the coffee shop,
but the area outside still feels very angular and shiny. Turn right on
River Pkwy., then left on SW Gaines St., which leads to a short
pedestrian-only path along the riverfront. Follow the path to its end,
take in the view across the water—you can see the Ross Island Bridge as
well as Ross Island itself—then retrace your steps.
At SW Gaines St. and River Pkwy., turn left, then take your first right
up to SW Bond Ave., where you can catch a streetcar toward down-
town.
BACK STORY: 40-MILE LOOP
If you spend any time on trails in the Portland area at all, you're likely to hear
about the 40-Mile Loop metro-area trail system. This, as you might imagine,
is a system of interconnected trails, some well established and others still in
the planning stages. It includes the excellent Wildwood Trail through Forest
Park, as well as bike-friendly urban corridors like the I-205 Path, Springwater
Corridor, and Eastbank Esplanade. The “40-Mile” part of the name refers to
city leaders' original conception of a regional trail network, an idea first
dreamed up a century ago; when trail advocates revived the project in 1982,
they called it the 40-Mile Loop in honor of that original vision.
These days the trail plan covers several cities and counties close to Portland,
and the total mileage of the envisioned trail network is more like 950; the
Multnomah County section alone incorporates some 30 parks and 140 miles
of trail. For more details about the 40-Mile Loop, including maps of current
and future trails, visit
40mileloop.org
(you can also get maps and information
at Portland visitor centers).
